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Title: Wohnten die Rechabiter in Jerusalem in Häusern oder in Zelten?
Subtitle: Die Verbformationen in Jer 35,8-11
Author(s): MIGSCH, Herbert
Journal: Biblica
Volume: 79    Issue: 2   Date: 1998   
Pages: 242-257
DOI: 10.2143/BIB.79.2.3200617

Abstract :
The Rechabites who were obliged to follow the nomadic way of life fled to Jerusalem according to Jer 35 in the face of the Babylonian-Aramean army that was moving towards Judah (597 B.C.). Although their ancestor Jonadab had among other things commanded his descendants always to dwell in tents, the Rechabites in Jerusalem lived in houses. This interpretation of the literature is of course disputed. According to many exegetes the Rechabites preserved the nomadic way of life. Nevertheless, a syntactic-semantic analysis of the verbal forms of vv. 8-11 and an analysis of the connections between the sentences in vv. 8-11 show that the Rechabites during their stay in Jerusalem observed the prohibitions of their ancestor – to drink no wine, to build no houses and not to plant or to possess a vineyard –, but not his command to live in tents.

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